MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – For a surfer, waxing a board is almost as familiar a sound as the waves breaking and for Allan Donoghue it's been hard to stay away from the culture.
"We've actually been doing sneaky surfs down in OC and Ventura, so it's nice to be back on the home break," Donoghue said.
After driving an hour north or south with his buddy Steve Lewis while LA County beaches have been closed, he's glad to be back on home turf. He's hopeful beaches will stay open.
"Well hopefully everyone social distances out there, and everyone should do what we're supposed to and we should be alright," said Donoghue.
L.A. County closed its beaches in March, but reopened them Wednesday for active recreational activities like swimming, walking, and surfing.
When they heard the news, there was one place Donoghue and Lewis wanted to go: El Porto.
While you can do some things at the beach, there are restrictions.
You can't gather, sit, or sunbathe. Beach parking lots, piers, bike baths, and volleyball courts all remain closed.
And when out of the water, you've got to physical distance and wear a mask.
It's a big adjustment that photographer Brian Doremus is waiting to see.
"My wife and I were out here earlier, and we wanted to see how many people were wearing masks. And for about the first half hour, we were the only two people wearing masks. So we were a little bit alarmed by that," Doremus said.
He's a professional sports photographer who specializes in surfing. He has lived in Manhattan Beach for decades and just like the surfers chomping at the bit to get in the water, he couldn't wait to get out of his house and do what he loves.
"They've been hungry to get out here for a couple of months, us photographers have been as well," he said.
County health officials will be evaluating how well the beach reopening goes. Depending on how well beach-goers adhere or don't adhere to the rules, beaches could potentially close again.